Is Emma Watson encouraging the slacktivists?

If you hate the word ‘feminist’ then you should watch Emma Watson’s powerful speech on gender equality for the United Nations. It might change your opinion on the word.

The aim of the speech is to promote the ‘HeForShe’ campaign, described as “a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the entirety of humanity”.

Watson believes that both men and women should stand up for one another and that gender equality is impossible to achieve if only one sex participates. The speech is an invitation to both men and boys to join the fight for gender equality. The important point of the speech is that it is not about only achieving equality for women but also for men.

However, could this be another slacktivist approach to a major social issue? Watson’s speech has gone viral and indeed raised awareness of gender inequality, but will anything happen because of it? The website itself is basic – it has a world map with the number of men supporting the campaign from each country, but doesn’t list specific issues or offer solutions. Was there a point to such a moving speech if no action will be taken? Only time will tell.